November 11th is a day Canadians take time to remember all those who fought and continue to fight for our freedoms. 2018 marks the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended World War 1. In Cambridge you have several different opportunities to show your support. Here is a breakdown of Remembrance Day ceremonies and events broken down by community:
Wreaths laid in remembrance after the 2015 ceremonies at the cenotaph in Queen’s Square
Galt Remembrance Day Ceremony
A Remembrance Day parade will kick off at the Royal Canadian Legion Galt Branch 121 at 9:45am (Ainslie and Veterans Way). The parade will depart at 10:15 am and move through Galt, culminating at the Queen’s square cenotaph (Grand and North/South Queen’s Square). There will be wreath laying ceremonies and music from the Galt Kiltie Band as well as a 2 minute wave of silence at 11am. The Branch will be open after the ceremony for comradeship, refreshments and entertainment.
Our friends at the Queen’s Square branch of the Idea Exchange will be offering music and refreshments today before and after the Remembrance Day ceremonies in Galt. They will be broadcasting the service from the cenotaph in Queen’s Square. Time: 9:30-12:30.
100 bells will be ringing to mark the Bells of Peace starting at sunset (5:01pm) on November 11th to help mark the 100th anniversary of the end of the first World War at the following Galt locations: City Hall, Knox Presbyterian Church and Trinity Anglican church. Please take a few moments to pause and remember all those that fought for peace.
Hespeler Remembrance Day Ceremony
Veterans and legion members will leave by bus at 10am from the Royal Canadian Legion Hespeler Branch 272 (26 Schofield Street). Veterans are asked to form up at 10:15am for Remembrance Day ceremonies in front of the Hespeler Cenotaph (Tannery & Queen Street) which starts at 10:30 am. There will be laying of wreaths and a 2 minute wave of silence at 11:00 am. The Hespeler Legion will be offering light lunch and comradery after the ceremony in the Legion Hall (26 Schofield St).
Bells of Peace will be rung starting at 5:01pm from St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Hespeler.
Preston Remembrance Day Ceremony
Form up in Preston will begin at the Royal Canadian Legion Preston Branch 126 at 10:15 (Westminster and Margaret). A march to the Preston Cenotaph in Central Park will begin at 10:30 (King and Argyle). Wreath laying ceremonies and a 2 minute wave of silence at 11am will follow the parade. Members of the Preston Legion are opening the doors after the ceremony for fellowship.
Bells of Peace will be rung starting at 5:01pm at the following Preston locations: St. Clement’s Catholic Church and St. Peter’s Lutheran Church.
Many Cambridge residents are expected to attend ceremonies at cenotaphs throughout the city.
Thank you for posting all the details. Please note the correct spelling of Remembrance Day (not Rememberance) and Veterans’ Way (not Vetrans Way).
I wish I had thought of this sooner but I have all 8 discs of the 1964 BBC & CBC series “The Great War” & I think that this would be something that would be of great interest to the Legion or the library to present. You see, my uncle, Edward E. Rollins, was the Canadian producer of the series which, I believe, won at least one award. My uncle had gotten into film/tv arts with one of the first veteran’s education loans (not sure if it was a loan or bursary. I can look through all of the family papers I have to check this)
made available after WWII. He fought in North Africa against Rommel’s forces but he would never talk about his experience , such was the effect it had on him. I also have here some of the letters he wrote or received from some of the soldiers (majors & generals) interviewed for the series. My uncle’s first accomplishment in TV film was even announced in the Galt Reporter in the 1950’s when I was a little girl!. His mother, my beloved Gran, was Audrey Rollins who was a British WREN. She met my grandfather, Lester Rollins, when he was stationed in France in a position in the veterinary corps (again, I do have more details around here somewhere). They were engaged at the end of the war on November 11. Gran was a 17 year old war bride! Their story which she had written out for newspapers here (she continued her career as a nurse, retiring from Freeport but had always been a writer) & in Penticton, BC where they retired, is so very interesting & a very good example of what some people experienced at that time. Grandpa was a veteran of Vimy Ridge. They are both interred at Mountview Cemetery….married more than 75 years!
Weren’t people incredible in those days? Gran is also mentioned in Bob Green’s book, “Eavesdroppings” with regard to another Galt character. She was a lively, broad-minded, slightly eccentric, by conservative standards in those days, who was the light of my life until my babies came along! And Grandpa, of course, was the “strong, silent type” who ,again, was not keen to talk about his experiences at war where he sustained injuries from the mustard gases.
I would be happy to loan this series out to an organization that would like to share it. I wish I’d thought of it sooner but I am not myself these days…grieving the death of my son, chemistry professor at Oberlin University, Jesse Rowsell, and my only other child/family has just left to work at Whistler for a year! Doing something for someone else would probably help me as well! Lots of time on my hands now!.
Thank you for your time & I truly hope that this is a viable way for me to get in touch with someone who would be interested in helping me to share this series. It is extremely good & very worthwhile to view.